Walking with Babs

A few weeks ago, as I anticipated the first snowfall of the season, Jeter and I headed out for what turned out to be a long walk. Before we headed out the door, I added layers and searched for a Spotify playlist, while Jeter paced impatiently. As I looked at the options on my Home Screen I noticed that, in addition to music and podcasts, there were audiobooks available, including the new Barbra Streisand autobiography of which I had recently heard some positive reviews.

Impulsively, I hit play.

A voice which was both familiar and new filled my ears. Barbra Streisand herself was reading the book. I was hooked. Jeter and I walked for two hours, returning home only after the snow began to fly.

Since that first late afternoon, Babs has accompanied me on a number walks. I find myself anticipating the time when I get to know Barbra Streisand more deeply. Leash in hand, earbuds in, I extend our route to give myself a chance to learn more about her. Although I’m barely 8 hours into the audiobook, which comes in at a total length of more than 48 hours, I’ve been struck by the surprising commonalities between Barbra and myself.

Spoiler: I’m not talking about appearances or talent to entertain.

Here are some ways Barbra and I are similar:

• Like me, Barbra never knew her father. While our situations were very different, the end result was the same – we are fatherless daughters.
• The relationship Barbra and her mother shared was complicated, filled with resentment and without affection. I certainly am familiar with that type of mother-daughter vibe.
• Her physical flexibility as a young person was very much like my own. She describes at one point that she was so limber that she could fold her leg and place a foot under her rib cage. I’ve never known anyone else that could that!
• Clothing and personal style are very important to Babs. She details outfits and accessories and claims that more than the actual experience of winning an esteemed award, what she remembers best is what she wore. I can relate to that.
• There’s a passage when Barbra talks about her how she recognized patterns in her romantic relationships, how it seemed to her that the characteristics she possessed which initially attracted men eventually became the same traits that repelled them. Her strength, independence and directness are appealing at first, particularly to partners who lack in each of these attributes. but ultimately they create division instead of lasting harmony. That resonated with me.
• Like me, Barbra treasures long time friendships and collaborations. She mentions people with whom she has been connected for decades.
• Barbra talks about her inability to perform the same task in the exact same manner countless times. While her context generally refers to performing, I can total relate to achieving the same end result in inconsistent ways. Doing the same thing over and over again feels uninspired to both of us.

Although I’m not generally an audiobook devotee, preferring print above all format options, there is a feature in this particular book that delights me – Barbra sings! I believe the song and performance excerpts are all recordings from the time which she is revisiting in her narrative and I’ve found them, without exception, to be thrilling. What an instrument! Listening to a clip from a performance when she was a guest on the Judy Garland show and these two tremendous singers traded stanzas of their signature songs, Happy Days are Here Again and Don’t Rain on My Parade, was something I never imagined hearing. Incredible.

I can’t wait until the weather moderates a bit, along with my calendar, so Babs and Jeter and I can hit the streets again.

Are you an audiobook aficionado? A Barbra Streisand fan? Let me know with a comment.